Dust
by dark of the moon
Summary: Chaptered fic. HGDM. The usual LoveHate relationship, but highly unusual situations and obstacles. A light hearted fic for entertainment. Later chapters will get better! Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

"Blaise, will you please just leave me alone!"

"No, Hermione, I won't. At least not until you give me five minutes to put my case across." He replied obstinately.

Hogwarts' Head Girl, Hermione Granger, and Head Boy, Blaise Zabini, were currently stood in an abandoned classroom not too far from their shared Dorm. Hermione had her arms crossed in front of her chest thinking about how much Blaise was holding her up and was desperately trying to refrain from hexing him.

He had been harassing her all day; it had started innocently enough first thing that morning but he hadn't let up with the exception of when they were in lessons and Hermione had finally had enough. She was just one lecture away from exploding and from the look on Blaise's face, that lecture was about to be delivered.

"Look, Mione," Blaise said wheedlesomely, hoping that Hermione would soften at the use of her nickname. "Everybody knows that we were never friends when we started school, it is universally accepted that Slytherins and Gryffindors were enemies, and everybody knows, now, that we are as close as the Golden Trio ever were."

Hermione's eyebrow quirked - her relationship with a lot of the Slytherins had changed after the war had ended. Sure, a few of the more devoted Slytherins had come slinking back with their tale between their legs and begrudgingly accepted the happier, more care-free aura of Hogwarts, but on the whole the bad eggs had been exposed for what they were and so dealt with accordingly by the Ministry. All that was true, and yes, her and Blaise were as close as her and Harry and Ron, but that still did not mean that she had to be friends with all of Slytherin.

"Blaise- " she started to interrupt, but Blaise merely held up his hand and carried on.

"I trust you with my life and I wish you would trust me as much,"

Hermione started, "You know that I do-" but he once again held up his hand, silencing her.

"And I like to think that you do. But why – if you do – do you ignore everything I say when it comes to Draco?"

Hermione pouted at this. It wasn't like she totally ignored him. She listened to Harry and Blaise about how Draco had changed and how he really was a decent guy, but she just couldn't shake the past six years from her memory; for the best part of it he had been totally insufferable and mean to them. Of course, she had reasoned with herself that he had made amends for his actions during the war, and she was always ready to forgive and forget Malfoy, until she actually physically laid eyes on him.

Something in the way he existed made her want to argue, and from what she had picked up from him, he felt exactly the same way.

Harry, Ron, Blaise, Draco, Pansy, Ginny and Hermione often spent time relaxing in the Heads common room as a group; they went to Hogsmeade together, they snuck down to the kitchens together and they sometimes even plotted adventures together. The had formed an alliance and house unity had flourished because of it. But Hermione found Draco's entire being infuriating and it never took long for one of them to explode at the other.

Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose – she was stressed and didn't want to be having the same argument with Blaise all over again, especially not when he was preventing her from completing her duties as Head Girl. So far as she was concerned, nothing that he told her was new; she knew it all and still she couldn't find it in herself not to rise to Malfoy's baiting. Particularly when it involved her cookies.

Blaise saw her face darken and knew what train of thought her brain was boarding… it was the cookie express and it was never good - he needed to derail her. And fast.

"Ginny herself told you what a good guy he is and, Herms," Hermione's head shot up. Blaise winced; that was not a good move using that particular nickname - he wanted to distract her, not get himself a black eye. "He only winds you up because he wants your attention! You know he cares!"

Hermione raised an eyebrow in sceptical response.

"Deep down," Blaise continued, "Real deep down."

He sighed deeply. He cared about them both and everybody could see that there was more between them than just arguments. There were feelings that both of the were hiding and it frustrated Blaise no end to be able to do nothing to help his two friends realise it.

"Just think about it, Hermione, that's all I'm saying. The next time you feel like yelling at him just think about everything he did for Harry, think about what he did for all of us."

"I hope you're not trying to get Herms to like me, Blaise, that would spoil my fun."

Hermione and Blaise spun round - a guilty blush spreading across Hermione's already flushed features. Silently she prayed to anyone who may be listening that the one who had just caught them was not the subject of the conversation. She silently swore to herself as she looked up and winced at what she saw.

Draco Malfoy leant against the doorjamb nonchalantly, looking back and forth between to two – his infamous smirk now accompanied by an inquisitive eyebrow.

Blaise was the first to gather his wits and turned back to Hermione, clearing his throat lightly, "Well, I think my job here is done." He smiled knowingly at Draco before darting quickly past him, "And, Draco, please don't aggravate our little Gryffindor – she's on her period."

Throwing her hands in the air, Hermione shrieked. "Where did that come from!"

Chuckling softly, Blaise backed away further into the corridor. "Aw, Mione, I had to give the guy a sporting chance. It's only fair to equip him with all the facts before he starts to dig himself into some other hole." And with that he was gone.

Hermione just stood there with her mouth wide open.

Draco took in her gawping features before sifting through his cloak pocket and pulling out a small bag, offering them to her with a particularly smug smirk, "I hear cookies are good for PMS."

Blaise laughed openly to himself as he ran down the corridor – he had only managed to get halfway down it before Hermione's scream of rage had echoed down after him and he couldn't help it, his mind was once started plotting a way to get them to be honest with each other. There was such passion between them that they truly proved the proverbial thin line between love and hate. He continued to run but with an even bigger grin alighting his face. He and Ginny were in the middle of concocting a plan and he was eager to finalise it and put it in motion before either of them killed the other.

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A/N: I know, clichéd, but bear with me! Will get funnier but I needed to set the scene someway. Let me know what you think – ideas are always welcome! xx


	2. Chapter 2

Dust. Chapter Two

"I don't know what you're so pissed about, Granger," Draco drawled as well as he could as he quickly tailed Hermione down a corridor – it was difficult to drawl nonchalantly whilst slightly breathless.

Draco had found his best friend and Head Boy, Blaise Zabini, talking with the Gryffindor witch about an hour ago and had been following her ever since as she frantically patrolled the corridors of Hogwarts in an attempt to complete her Head duties. She had tried valiantly to throw him off, to lose him through complicated twists of the castle, but to no avail; he was still behind her, hot on her heels and infuriating the life out of her. If he sped up just a little more he would actually be scuffing the backs of her heels and she could already imagine the blisters.

She could feel her temper practically boiling. He incensed her so much and yet Blaise still tried to convince her that they both harboured some kind of affection towards each other. Personally, she didn't see it. All she saw was an irritating boy who took delight in being the bane of her existence.

"The way I see it, I was giving you some useful advice. Girls are unreasonable little things when they're surfing the crimson wave and I just thought that telling you would help – if you know that you're acting stupidly then you can stop it."

Hermione stopped sharp causing Malfoy to slam into the back of her, sending him rebounding backwards and onto his arse. She spun around viciously and had her wand already pointed directly at his forehead.

Unreasonable little things? She took a deep breath. _Unreasonable_. _Little_. _Things_. She ground her teeth together in an attempt to hold back whatever curse was forming already on her tongue.

He noticed this and frowned, trying to look like he genuinely didn't understand what he had said that could evoke such a sharp reaction but he failed dismally - what with the crooked smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Listen up, Malfoy," she spat "I don't understand why you're following me, I don't understand what makes you think that you are qualified to give me 'advice' in any way, shape or form, but what I do understand is that you will die a very painful death if you do not get out of here right now!"

"You're stressed, it's understandable, but I still don't think that that's any excuse for threatening me," He pouted whilst pulling himself gracefully to his feet.

"I'm not threatening you, Malfoy. I'm telling you," She replied, smiling sweetly. "Now leave me to complete the rest of my duties in peace."

He laughed inwardly, "Oh Granger, always the martyr. The sensitive, know-it-all bookworm who is so dedicated to her duties that she forgoes the simple pleasures in life." He sighed dramatically.

"And what," she ground out, "would those simple pleasures be, Malfoy?"

"Why, me, of course." His smirk was well and truly back on his face now and Hermione's wand was once more directed at his face.

"You're not one of life's pleasure, Malfoy, you are life's biggest pain,"

Draco staggered backwards, grabbing at his chest as though wounded.

"Ouch, that hurt. Wounded. Won't make it," He gargled. "Can't. Take. The. Pain." he gasped as he collapsed on the floor, eyes closed and breathing heavily, writhing about as if in pain. Hermione scoffed but he continued on until, after a particularly violent shudder, he went still. Apparently lifeless.

After giving her sufficient time to grieve, he arose from his deathbed and took a proud bow. Opening his eyes as he dipped to the floor he noticed a lack of feet. His own were there but Hermione's had gone. He straightened up quickly and scanned the corridor – just in time to see the corner of a cloak whip around a corner.

Aha!

He followed quickly. He couldn't believe it – she had gotten away and he hadn't even heard her. She was wearing school shoes and still she hadn't made a noise! Pride flared up inside him but he checked himself after reasoning that she hadn't gotten away; she had only made it to the end of the corridor and he was going to catch up with her effortlessly. It was a constant game of cat and mouse between the two and he loved it. He strode off, purposefully.

From the shadows Hermione watched as Draco stalked off in the opposite direction to her - following the sixth-year Hufflepuff group that had just emerged from one of the empty rooms. Technically she should have reprimanded them for being in a classroom, un-supervised and for being out after curfew, but she recognised a few of them as being good students and they had, albeit unwillingly, rescued her from the company of Malfoy, and for that she was tempted to even award them house points.

She stepped cautiously from behind the suit of armour she had been using as cover Peeking out just far enough, she watched as the blond Slytherin disappear around the corner. Knowing that she didn't have long until he figured out that she hadn't actually gone that way, she quickly lifted her cloak and pulled her other leg from behind the armour.

Feeling the cold edge of something against her skin, she looked down just in time to see the statues flag pole falling towards the ground as her foot had caught it on it's way out.

The loud clanging of metal echoed around the corridor and Hermione looked up in horror as the visor of the helmet began opening and closing in quick succession. In any other circumstance she would have picked the pole up and try to make amends with the armour, but these were extenuating circumstances; this was a matter of life or Malfoy, and she knew which she would rather have.

Grimacing apologetically, she turned on her heel and ran as quickly and quietly as she could until she rounded the corner, zigzagging her way up and down around the castle as quickly as she could – stopping and hiding every so often to see if she had finally escaped Malfoy. He hadn't been following her, she was sure; there had been no racing footsteps other than her own. She looked around; there was nothing and no one in this present corridor. She smiled whilst breathing deeply. She had escaped him.

Finally secure in the knowledge that he hadn't seen her, she made her way back to her common room – she had been nearly all over the castle and her patrol shift had come to an end somewhere in the midst of trying to avoid Draco, so she reasoned she could go straight back, have a bath, relax, and get ready to start her weekend.

She had a Transfiguration essay set earlier that day and she had been itching to make a start on it ever since. A Transfiguration essay, some cookies, a hot water bottle and a quiet, empty common room was her idea of bliss and that was exactly what she had planned for her Friday night.

She'd have to put some ointment on her leg as well – the shin had bruised from where she caught the flagpole earlier, but she could do that once she had had a bath and her skin was soft.

She sighed happily to herself as she opened the portrait hole the led to hers and Blaise's common room. What she was greeted with stopped her dead in her tracks.

Ron, Harry and an incredibly smug-looking Draco Malfoy were sat around the main table with small mounds of Bertie Botts Every-Flavour Beans in front on them.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked with disbelief. She had been running around the castle trying to avoid him and here he was sat in HER common room all along.

Draco leant back in his chair, stretching his arms above his head and yawning lazily; inadvertently flexing his muscles just as Blaise appeared from his room behind them.

"Hey, Mione" he smiled in greeting as he took his seat and shuffled the pack of cards in his hands. Harry and Ron had considered saying hello to her but had decided against it after sensing the tension and anger currently radiating from her.

Hermione stood there and just gulped like a fish out of water – she couldn't believe. She just could not believe it. He was there, sat like some kind of King all high and mighty, in HER common room. Flexing his muscles.

"Want to play poker with us, Granger?" Draco asked cheerily.

Blaise snorted, "Girls don't play poker, Draco; they get too excited when they have a good hand; they are no good at poker-faces. It just doesn't work." He laughed even more, inwardly. Hermione's face was a picture. He didn't really believe what he had just said, but there was a grain of truth in it – from his experience, girls were rubbish when it came to poker faces and it had played havoc with his conscience when he had won all of their chocolate matchsticks from them.

Hermione drew in a deep breath deciding there were no words to express her anger at that precise moment in time. She marched towards her room with a view to taking over the bathroom for an hour or two and then heading to Ginny's dormitory for some much needed female company.

Noting Blaise's somewhat pleased look at having silenced her, she punched him squarely and soundly on the arm on her way to her room.

Smiling slightly, she shut her door, dropped her bag, kicked off her shoes and headed to the bathroom immediately locking all the doors. She let tub fill with water and bubbles as she shucked off her clothes. Lowering herself into it, her smile spread slowly but gradually across her face; there were times when magic just wasn't as satisfying as using one's hands.

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Yay, another chapter! Hmm, still building up to the good bits but they should begin in the next chapter  can't tell you what's going to be in it but there's just one more reason for you to carry on reading!

Thank you so much to **Crystal**, **USAgal** and **Sacagawea** for reviewing the last chapter! It means a lot to me and any suggestions are always appreciated! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!

And I'd also like to thank **The Black Pearl is Freedom** (you're so kind! My favourite kind of reviewer, lol), **Kath Kruger** (I'm one of those clumsy people too - a lot of the things I use in my fics are based on personal experiences. I probably shouldn't have admitted that… damn… don't read this fic!), **wahinegurl** (thanks, I was worried the format might be confusing but I'm glad you liked it!), **Marauder Angel** ( thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it), **Lady11Occult** (sorry, no more chapters for that one, but have I told you about my new fic called 'Dust'?), **Jadza** (thank you for all your comments! Your review brightened my day), and **Raye Wolfe** (you could have a coconut but I wouldn't know where to send it so you'll just have to be happy with the knowledge the I owe you one, one day.  but thank you!) for reviewing my Draco/Hermione one-shot _"Give the Girl a Coconut"_ – I couldn't add it to that fic so I've posted on this one in case any of you happen upon it.

Thank you all so much and happy reading!


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